Officers from the National Police, as part of a comprehensive strategy established by the Provincial Police Station of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to prevent thefts, have apprehended eight individuals suspected of carrying out several opportunistic thefts against foreign tourists arriving in the city via cruise ships that dock in Santa Cruz de Tenerife during their travels.
The investigation, which commenced in November this year, concentrated on examining the reports filed by tourists, alongside analysing footage captured by security cameras.
These efforts enabled the agents to discern the modus operandi of the detainees, who operated within organized and well-structured groups, classified under what is termed International Organised Crime.
These findings were forwarded to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office with the aim of securing the necessary advice to steer the investigative efforts and the reports produced, evidencing that these were genuine criminal organisations functioning in an organised manner rather than merely isolated incidents.
Due to the evidence gathered by the officers and the investigative collaboration with the Prosecutor’s Office, the detainees, accused of theft and participation in a criminal organisation, were presented to the relevant judicial authority, which issued a judicial order, imposing a restraining order from the main tourist hotspots of the city.
This operation reinforces the National Police’s commitment to combating crimes that jeopardise the safety of visitors to the city, particularly during the peak cruise season. Consequently, in close partnership with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ongoing investigations aim to dismantle, arrest, and prosecute the members of these criminal groups.
